Trick-telephone.



E. DE MOULIN.

TRICK TELEPHONE.) APPLIUATIOH FILED maze, 1908.

945,708. Patented Jan; 4, 1910.

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ERASTUS DE MOULIN, OF GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS.

TRICK-TELEPHONE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4:, 1910.

Application filed December 28, 1908. Serial No. 469,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASTUS DE MoULIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Bond and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Trick-Telephone, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trick telephones of that type particularly designed for initiation purposes.

The object of the invention is to provide mechanism designed, when set in motion, to startle the initiate, said mechanism being designed, after having been set, to be released, either by the removal of the receiver from the receiver hook, or by the rotation of the crank provided in some telephone systems for ringing the bell.

Another object is to provide simple means whereby the actuation of the mechanism under the foregoing conditions may be prevented.

A still further object is to provide improved mechanism whereby a powder or fluid can be discharged from the transmitter and into the face of the initiate simultaneously with the explosion of a detonator.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a wall telephone embodying the present improvements, parts of the front closure thereof being removed. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section through the transmitter and adjacent parts.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a casing corresponding to the casing of an ordinary wall telephone, and provided with ordinary telephone bells 2, designed to be sounded electrically, it being intended to extend wires from the telephone to any desired point removed therefrom, so that, by the closing of the circuit in any preferred manner, the bells will be sounded. This construction is so obvious that it is not deemed necessary to illustrate it, particularly in view of the fact that it constitutes no part of the present invention.

Arranged upon the front of the casing is a transmitter 3, having the outward appearance of an ordinary telephone transmitter. The mouth-piece 4 is provided at its inner end with a disk 5 in which are formed a number of openings for the purpose hereinafter set forth. A tube 6 extends through the transmitter from this apertured disk to an opening 7 formed in the front of the casing and is designed, when the casing is closed, to register with a cup 8 formed at the outer end of a tube 9. This tube extends outwardly from a hollow block 10 secured within the casing 1 and a tubular arm 11 extends laterally from said block 10 and opens into the inner end of the tube 9. The end of this arm 11 is engaged by one end of a flexible tube 12 extending from a bulb 13. A forked bracket 14 is secured within the casing and constitutes a support for the bulb and tube. A tubular extension 15 is formed upon the block 10 and opens thereinto, said extension being designed to receive a blank cartridge or other form of detonator. A tube 16 extends from the block and opens downwardly through the bottom of the casing 1, said tube being utilized for conveying from the casing the gases produced by the explosion of the cartridge.

A receiver-hook 17 is pivotally mounted within one side portion of the casing and has an arm 18 extending backwardly into the path of one end of an intermediate lever 19 journaled as at 20 upon a bracket 21 located within the casing. A spring 22 is secured to the inner end of the receiver-hook 17 and is also fastened to the casing 1, said spring operating to hold the arm 18 yieldingly against the intermediate lever 19, so as to press a finger 23, located at one end of lever 19, upwardly against a trigger 24, pivotally mounted within the casing as at 25. This trigger is notched as indicated at 27 and is held normally in a predetermined position by means of a spring 28 attached at its ends to the trigger and to the casing respectively. Then in its normal position the notched portion of the trigger 2A is disposed in the path of one end of a lever 29 pivotally mounted between its endswithin the casing as indicated at 30 and having a spring 31 designed to hold one end of the lever for bearing against the bulb 13. A spring 34 is connected to the lever 32 so as to hold the head 33 normally pressed against the bulb 13 and close to the bracket 14. An arm 35 extends from the lever 29 and is utilized to facilitate the setting of the mechanism as hereinafter set forth.

A bracket 36 is secured within the casing 1 at one side thereof and has a rod 37 slidably mounted within it, one end of the rod projecting beyond one side of the casing, while the other end has a head 38. A spring 39 is secured upon the bracket and bears against the rod so as to hold the head 36 normally pressed against the end of the bracket and out of the path of the trigger 2 1. By pressing the rod 37 inwardly however, the head 38 will be brought into posi tion within the path of the trigger and prevent the actuation thereof when the receiver R is removed from hook 17.

If desired a shaft 10 may be revolubly mounted within the casing 1 and provided at one end with a crank 11 similar to those utilized in some forms of telephones for the purpose of ringing up central. An arm 12 is extended radially from this shaft at a point within the casing, said arm being so located that when the shaft is given a partial rotation the arm will press against the intermediate lever 19 and cause the actuation of the parts in the same manner as when the receiver R is removed from the hook 17 as hereinafter set forth.

When it is desired to use the device herein described, the receiver R is placed upon the book 17 and the weight thereof is sufficient to overcome the stress of spring 22, so that the hook will assume a tilted position as indicated in Fig. 1. The spring 28 will pull on the trigger 2 1 and force it against the finger 23 of the intermediate lever 19, thus holding one end of the lever pressed against the arm 18 of the hook 17. The notch 27 will thus be normally positioned Within the path of the hammer lever 29. By pulling on the arm or handle 35 the hammer lever 29 can be swung away from the block 10 until one end of the lever becomes seated within the notch 27. During this swinging movement of the lever the other end thereof will bear against one end of lever 32 and swing the head 33 away from bracket 14, thus permitting the bulb 13 to expand.

It is of course to be understood that the two levers 29 and 32 will be locked out of normal positions as long as lever 29 has one end seated within the notch 27. After the levers have been adjusted in the manner described a blank cartridge or other form of detonator is placed within the tubular extension 15. The front of the casing 1 is then swung open and a small quantity of powder is placed within the cup 8, after which the casing 1 can be closed, and the device is ready for use. After the initiate has been brought to a point near the telephone the bell circuit is closed so as to cause the bells to be sounded. A conductor may then go to the telephone and first press inwardly on the stem 37 so as to bring head 38 into the path of trigger 24:. The receiver R can then be removed from the hook without danger of releasing the mechanism within the casing, and the conductor may then act as though receiving a message, after which he may return the receiver R to the hook and release the stem 37. All of the parts will thus remain locked. The conductor may then an nounce that the initiate has been requested to immediately call up a certain number. As soon as he assumes a position in front of the telephone and removes the receiver R- as ordinarily, the spring 22 pulls downwardly on the inner end of the hook 17 and causes the intermediate lever 19 to press upwardly upon one end of trigger 24. This movement will be suflicient to release the hammer lever 29, which will be immediately swung dowuwardly by its spring 31 into contact with the detonator held within the tubular extension 15. Lever 32 is simultaneously released and head 33 compresses the bulb 13 so as to direct air into the tube 9 and expel through the transmitter all of the powder contained within the cup 8. Obviously a very startling effect will thus be produced.

It is of course to be understood that when the device is used in telephone districts where connection is made with the central office merely by lifting the receiver from the hook 17, it is not necessary to provide the crank 1 1, and said crank can be unscrewed or otherwise detached from the shaft 10 under these conditions. However, should the device be used in telephone districts where it is necessary to turn the crank in order to call central, the rotation of the crank by the initiate will cause arm 42 to swing against lever 19, and the mechanism will therefore be released and operate in the 110 manner hereinbefore described.

It is of course to be understood that va rious changes may be made in the construc tion and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the 115 advantages of the invention.

hat I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a spring controlled receiver hook, a trigger, yielding means for holding the trig- 120 ger normally in a predetermined position, means for transmitting motion from the receiver hook to the trigger, mechanism released by the movement of the trigger for startling a person, and manually operated 125 means for locking the trigger against movement.

2. In a device of the class described a powder expelling mechanism, a lever, firing mechanism including a hammer lever, sepa- 13c rate yielding means for holding said levers normally in predetermined positions, said hammer lever normally contacting with, and being shiftable to set the lever of the expelling mechanism, a spring-controlled lever normally in the path of and designed to hold the said lever, and means simulating a part of a telephone adapted to shift the trigger to release the levers.

3. A device of the class described comprising a powder expelling mechanism, including a spring-controlled lever, firing mechanism including a spring-controlled hammer lever, a spring-controlled trigger, said hammer lever being shiftable into position to set the lever of the expelling mechanism, means simulating a part of a tele phone for actuating the trigger to release the levers, and manually operated means for holding the trigger against movement during the actuation of said triggeractuating means.

4. A device of the class described comprising a spring-controlled receiver-hook, a

lever constituting a trigger, yielding means for holding said lever normally in a predetermined position, an intermediate lever for transmitting motion from the receiver-hook to the trigger, and mechanism released by the movement of the trigger for startling a person.

5. A device of the class described comprising a spring-controlled receiver-hook, a lever constituting a trigger, yielding means for holding said lever normally in a predetermined position, an intermediate lever for transmitting motion from the receiver-hook to the trigger, and mechanism released by the movement of the trigger for startling a person, and manually operated means for locking the trigger against movement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ERASTUS DE MOULIN.

WVitnesses:

CLARENCE H. DAVIS, NEWTON WV. FINK. 

